A Little about Manuscript Transcribing

This project is focused on creating full-text transcriptions of manuscripts dating 1625-1893. This type of work can be more involved and takes a little time. However, you only need to transcribe as much (or as little) as you like. There will be some oddities encountered along the way--we've tried to address as much as possible in the Field Guide and Tutorial, but please reach out on the Talk Boards with questions. Once this project is complete, these transcriptions will appear with images of the manuscript pages on the Maine Memory Network (see About the Project below for more details).

Check back often as we will be adding additional images as we complete the digitization of these three collections!

About the Collection

Three collections are included in the Maine Historical Society's Beyond Borders project. Two significant manuscript collections about colonial Maine land distribution, commonly known as the Kennebec Proprietors and the Pejepscot Proprietors, as well as the Barclay Collection, a collection of papers pertaining to the drawing of the Northeast Boundary between the United States and Canada. These collections represent a significant aspect of Maine history and its relationship to one of its most prized natural resources, land. The three collections consist of about 20,000 pages of deeds, affidavits, indentures, land grant applications, correspondence and related manuscripts, as well as over 400 hand-drawn maps, and represent some of the most frequently used collections at the Maine Historical Society, as well as pages of unexplored and unpublished holdings.

Significance of the Manuscripts

Combined, these collections document the emergence of Maine as a unique and independent entity, distinct from Massachusetts, as well as British colonial rule, and later the federal government. Collectively, the records span from 1625‐1893 and carry the history of what is now known as Maine from shortly after European settlement in 1607 to the turn of the twentieth century. While frequently used by traditional scholars, our project goal is to make the papers widely accessible to a broader audience. The principles, relationships, strategies, and actions described in the Proprietor papers remain particularly relevant today in respect to Maine’s economic development; division of land and distribution of wealth; the establishment of political boundaries; land use and attitudes towards the environment; and the sovereignty of, and obligations to Wabanaki People within Maine's modern boarders. The Barclay Collection articulates Maine’s role in the national narrative, and documents relevant topics including international borders, interactions with Indigenous nations, foreign relations, and political tension.

Provenance

• Pejepspcot Proprietors (Coll. 61)

Officially known as the papers of the Proprietors of the Township of Brunswick, Collection 61 was donated to Maine Historical Society (MHS) in 1863 through John McKeen's estate, a former clerk for the town of Brunswick. The records were given to McKeen by the heirs of Josiah Little, one of the last surviving Pejepscot Proprietors, for the specific purpose of donating to MHS. McKeen was an active member of MHS until his death in 1860.

• Kennebec Proprietors (Coll. 60)

Officially known as the papers of the Plymouth Company, or Kennebec Purchase, Collection 60 was donated to Maine Historical Society in the 1870s by former Maine governor Joseph Williams, the son of Reuel Williams, a former U.S. Senator from the region of Maine at the heart of the Kennebec Purchase. Reuel Williams, while born to late to be a Kennebec Proprietor himself, held considerable real estate portfolio and was to some extent a successor to the Plymouth Company.

• Barclay Collection (Coll.26)

Also known as the Northeast Boundary Collection, Collection 26 is an amalgamation of two donations made to Maine Historical Society in 1894. The first being the papers of Thomas Barclay, his son Anthony Barclay and associated parties. The Barclays were both commissioners on behalf of the British government following the Treaty of Ghent, assigned to establish a boundary between the United States and Canada. The Barclay papers were donated to MHS by George Lockhart Rives, Thomas Barclay's grandson. A second gift that same year were the papers pf British land agent Ward Chipman, his son Ward Chipman, Jr. as well as those of their scout Robert Pagan. The Chipman-Pagan papers were donated to MHS by William Henry Kilby of Eastport, ME.

About the Project

The Beyond Borders project aims to fully digitize and provide full-text access to the complete Pejepscot Proprietors, Kennebec Proprietors and Barclay collections through the Maine Historical Society's digital history platform, the Maine Memory Network, (MMN). MMN is open to the public, free to use and items included on MMN are easily found through search engines. The transcriptions created using Zooniverse will be available through MMN, allowing for the manuscripts to be keyword searchable and accessible to a wider audience.

This two and a half year project is supported through a National Endowment for the Humanities, Historic Collections and Reference Resources grant, awarded to Maine Historical Society in 2020. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This project is also committed to adhering to the NEH's Code of Ethics Related to Native Americans.